Kobe Bryant: Lack of a Rival Has Robbed Fans of Lakers Star's True Greatness

Like NBA legend Michael Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant hasn't had the pleasure of being challenged by a fierce rival throughout his career.

This lack of a real rival has made Bryant find the competitive fire to win within himself, but basketball fans are still left to wonder what kind of moments could have been seen if Bryant had a real rival competing for championships with him.

Bryant admitted on Friday that he hasn't had a rival throughout his 16-year career, via ESPN:

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I didn't have one. ... I get up for everybody just the same, to be honest. It's hard for me to turn my meter up any higher than it normally is.

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It's really unfortunate that the NBA has been void of true one-on-one rivalries since Larry Bird and the Celtics were consistently battling Magic Johnson and the Lakers for basketball supremacy in the 1980s.

The games between Bird and Magic were so amazing because it was as much a personal battle as it was winning the game. These incredibly fierce competitors would look at the box scores and try to best the other each night.

Since Magic's Lakers usually played after Bird since they're on the West Coast, Magic would look at the box score for the Boston game, and if Bird got a triple-double, Magic would be motivated to go out and achieve his own triple-double.

No one on the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic or Cleveland Cavaliers was ever a threat to Jordan's title march in the 1990s when he was in the prime of his career. Penny Hardaway might been a real rival for Jordan, but the prime of the Magic star's career was harshly robbed from him thanks to a multitude of difficult injuries.

In Bryant's case, the most likely rivals for him either played at a different position or came into the league too late in the Lakers star's career to be considered a real rival.

Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs was a real threat to the Lakers in the early 2000s when the two teams won five of the six NBA titles from 2000-05, but Duncan was more a rival to former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal than he was to Bryant.

Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade could have been a rival for Bryant, but he came into the league too late to create a fierce rivalry:

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"He's too young," Bryant said. "He's too young. When I came into the league, he was in elementary school."

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Without a real rival, basketball fans have not been able to witness what Bryant would have played like when challenged by a real championship threat. 

In many ways it's not Bryant's fault because the prime of his career, which I would determine to be from 2000 to 2006, was one of the least competitive eras in NBA history. After Michael Jordan retired in 1998, the quality of play and excitement took a hit.

It would have been amazing to see Bryant go up against LeBron James and Kevin Durant during the prime of their careers, but unfortunately it won't happen.

The NBA needs a one-on-one rivalry between East and West players that can battle for the NBA title for several seasons.

Bryant wasn't lucky enough to be a part of one, but it shouldn't take away from his remarkable career. You could even argue that Bryant finding the competitiveness and motivation to dominate without a real rival pushing you is even more impressive.

Hopefully for NBA fans James and Durant can forge an epic, personal rivalry this season.

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